JP7361152B2 - Manufacturing method of operating device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an operation device used as an input device for an information processing device such as a game device.

Conventionally, there are operating devices used as input devices for information processing devices such as game devices. The operation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 below has held portions on the left and right sides of the device that are held by a user. The held portion is provided with operation members such as operation buttons and direction keys.

US Patent No. 6,394,906

If the information processing device can detect the position of the operating device, it will be possible to change the image displayed on the display or the movement of objects in the image depending on the position of the operating device, that is, the user's position. The enjoyment of using equipment and operating devices can be increased. As a method of detecting the position of the operating device, a method is being considered in which the operating device is provided with a light-emitting section that emits light in response to light from a light source such as an LED, and the light from the light-emitting section is captured through a camera connected to the information processing device. .

However, when light from an indoor lighting device or the like is reflected on the surface of the light emitting section and mixed with light emitted from the light emitting section, it becomes difficult to accurately detect the position of the operating device.

Further, in order to increase the accuracy of position detection of the operating device by the information processing apparatus, it is desirable that the entire area of the light emitting section illuminates uniformly. However, when the number of light sources is small, it is difficult to illuminate the surface of the light emitting part evenly.

The operating device according to the present invention includes left and right held parts for a user to hold, on which the operating member is provided, a central part that is a part between the left and right held parts, and a front surface of the central part. and a light emitting surface that emits light for the information processing device to capture through the camera. The central portion includes a portion located above and in front of the light emitting surface. According to this operating device, it is possible to reduce the influence of light such as an indoor lighting device on the position detection accuracy of the operating device.

Another operation device according to the present invention includes left and right held parts for a user to hold, in which an operation member is provided on the upper surface, a central part that is a part between the left and right held parts, and the central part. a light-emitting panel provided on the front surface of the computer and having a light-emitting surface on the front surface that emits light for the information processing device to capture through a camera; and a light guide member extending from the light source toward the back surface of the light emitting panel. The light guide member has left and right side surfaces that are inclined so that the width in the left and right direction gradually increases toward the front. According to this operating device, it is possible to suppress imbalance in brightness on the surface of the light emitting panel.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first example of the operating device, looking from above; FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the operating device shown in FIG. 1; 2 is a plan view of the operating device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of FIG. 3. 2 is a front view of the operating device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view of the operating device shown in FIG. 1; 2 is a rear view of the operating device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing one form of use of the operating device shown in FIG. 1; 4 is a cross-sectional view of the front panel taken along line IX-IX shown in FIG. 3. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the internal structure of the operating device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second example of the operating device, looking from above; FIG. 12 is a front perspective view of the operating device shown in FIG. 11; 12 is a plan view of the operating device shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is a front view of the operating device shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is a side view of the operating device shown in FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is an enlarged view showing the back side of the operating device shown in FIG. 11. FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing one form of use of the operating device shown in FIG. 11; FIG. 7 is a plan view of a third example of the operating device. FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the operating device shown in FIG. 18; 19 is a front view of the operating device shown in FIG. 18. FIG. 19 is a bottom view of the operating device shown in FIG. 18. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an operating device according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. In this figure, the upper side of the operating device is shown. 23 is a perspective view of the operating device shown in FIG. 22. FIG. In this figure, the front side of the operating device is shown. 23 is a plan view of the operating device shown in FIG. 22. FIG. 23 is a front view of the operating device shown in FIG. 22. FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXVI-XXVI shown in FIG. 24. FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a modification of the operating device according to the embodiment of the present invention. 28 is a cross-sectional view of the operating device according to the modification shown in FIG. 27. FIG.

[First example of operation device]
Examples of operating devices will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 are perspective views of an operating device 1 as a first example. FIG. 1 is a view of the upper side of the operating device 1, and FIG. 2 is a view of the front side of the operating device 1. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the operating device 1, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the right side of FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view of the operating device 1. FIG. 6 is a side view of the operating device 1. FIG. 7 is a rear view of the operating device 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing one form of use of the operating device 1.

In the following description, Y1 and Y2 shown in FIG. 1 are the front and rear, respectively. Moreover, X1 and X2 are the right direction and the left direction, respectively. Moreover, Z1 and Z2 are upper and lower, respectively.

The operating device 1 is used as an input device for an information processing apparatus having a game program execution function, a moving image reproduction function, a communication function through the Internet, and the like. The operation device 1 is capable of wired or wireless communication with the information processing apparatus, and transmits a signal corresponding to an operation performed on the operation device 1 by the user to the information processing apparatus. The operating device 1 includes various sensors (acceleration sensor, gyro sensor, etc.) used to detect the posture and movement of the operating device 1, a battery, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the operating device 1 has left and right held parts 10L and 10R on its left and right parts, respectively, for the user to hold. The held parts 10L and 10R are located apart in the left-right direction, and their front parts are connected by a central part 21. An operating member for a user to operate is provided on the upper surface of the front part of the held parts 10L and 10R. A plurality of operation buttons 11 are provided on the upper surface of the front portion of the right held portion 10R. The operating device 1 in this example has four operating buttons 11, which are located at the ends of a cross. A cross-shaped direction key 19 is provided on the upper surface of the front portion of the left held portion 10L. The held parts 10L and 10R have grips 12. The grip 12 extends rearward from the front of the held parts 10L and 10R.

As shown in FIG. 1, the operating device 1 has a housing 40. As shown in FIG. The housing 40 constitutes the outer surface of the operating device 1 and accommodates various parts included in the operating device 1. The housing 40 in this example has an upper housing half 41 and a lower housing half 49, which are combined with each other in the vertical direction. The upper housing half 41 constitutes the upper part of the held parts 10L, 10R and the central part 21, and the lower housing half 49 constitutes the lower part thereof.

As shown in FIG. 3, the operating device 1 has a plate-shaped operating member 22 on the upper surface of the central portion 21. As shown in FIG. The operating member 22 includes a touch sensor 23 and a front panel 24 (in FIG. 3, the front panel 24 is shaded for clarity). The front panel 24 constitutes the upper surface of the central portion 21 . That is, an opening 42 is formed in the upper housing half 41 to expose the upper surface (front surface) of the front panel 24 . The front panel 24 covers the entire touch sensor 23. The touch sensor 23 is attached to the lower surface (back surface) of the front panel 24. The touch sensor 23 is located between the operation members (that is, the operation button 11 and the direction key 19) of the left and right held parts 10L and 10R. The touch sensor 23 is a sensor for detecting the position of a user's finger that touches the operating member 22. That is, the touch sensor 23 outputs a signal according to the position of the user's finger. The operating device 1 transmits the signal to the information processing device. The touch sensor 23 is, for example, a capacitive sensor. The touch sensor 23 is capable of so-called multi-touch. That is, the touch sensor 23 can detect the positions of multiple fingers simultaneously. For example, the touch sensor 23 can simultaneously detect the position of the right thumb and the left thumb. The operating member 22 is supported so as to be movable up and down in response to a user's pressing operation. The operating device 1 includes a switch that detects when the operating member 22 is pressed, and the operating member 22 functions as a button that can be turned on/off.

Since the operating member 22 is plate-shaped, the distance between the right edge 24a of the operating member 22 and the operating button 11 and the distance between the left edge 24c of the operating member 22 and the direction key 19 can be reduced (in this description, the right The edge 24a and the left edge 24c are the right edge and left edge, respectively, of the surface of the surface panel 24 exposed from the opening 42 of the upper housing half 41). As a result, the user can operate the operating member 22 with his or her thumb while holding the held parts 10R and 10L (see FIG. 8). As described above, the operating member 22 has both a position detection function using the touch sensor 23 and a function of detecting a user's pressing operation. Therefore, for example, it is possible to detect which position of the operating member 22 is pressed. In particular, since the touch sensor 23 has a multi-touch function, it can detect that multiple positions are pressed at the same time.

As shown in FIG. 3, the front panel 24 in this example has a larger size in the left-right direction than the touch sensor 23. The touch sensor 23 is rectangular, and its width is constant in the front-rear direction. On the other hand, the width of the front panel 24 gradually increases toward the front. The front panel 24 has a right protrusion 24R extending to the right beyond the right edge of the touch sensor 23, and a left protrusion 24L extending leftward beyond the left edge of the touch sensor 23. . According to this structure, even if the size of the touch sensor 23 has to be reduced due to the positional relationship between the touch sensor 23 and other components, the user can easily press the operating member 22 against the projecting parts 24R and 24L. be able to.

As shown in FIG. 3, the held part 10R has an area (hereinafter referred to as an operation area) AR in which four operation buttons 11 are arranged on the upper surface of its front part. Similarly, the held portion 10L has an operation area AL on the upper surface of its front portion, in which the direction key 19 is arranged. The operation areas AR and AL in this example are approximately circular. The touch sensor 23 has a width corresponding to the distance D1 between the rightmost part of the left operation area AL and the leftmost part of the right operation area AR. On the other hand, the frontmost portion of the front panel 24 has a width W1 larger than the distance D1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the right edge 24a of the front panel 24 is curved to surround the left side portions of the four operation buttons 11. That is, the right edge 24a extends from the position to the left of the four operation buttons 11 while being curved forward and to the right. The front end 24b of the right edge 24a (the right end of the frontmost part of the operating member 22) is located in front of the operating button 11 (more specifically, the operating button 11 located at the center in the left-right direction). The right edge 24a is curved along the outer periphery of the operation area AR and has an arc shape.

The left edge 24c of the front panel 24 is curved to surround the right side of the direction key 19. That is, the left edge 24c extends from a position on the right side of the direction key 19 while being curved forward and to the left. A front end 24d of the left edge 24c (the frontmost left end of the operating member 22) is located forward of the rightmost portion 19a of the direction key 19. The left edge 24c is curved along the outer peripheral edge of the operation area AL, and has an arc shape.

When the user slides the thumb in the front-back direction while holding the held parts 10R and 10L, the trajectory of the thumb generally forms an arc. Edges 24a and 24c of the front panel 24 are provided at positions where the user's thumb can reach while holding the held parts 10R and 10L. Further, the curvature of the edges 24a, 24b generally corresponds to the trajectory of the thumb. Thereby, the user can easily slide the thumb forward along the edges 24a, 24c from inside the operation areas AR, AL, as shown by arrows ER and EL in FIG. Even if the user's thumb slides beyond the left and right edges of the touch sensor 23, the user can press the protruding parts 24R and 24L.

As shown in FIG. 1, the upper surfaces of the operation areas AR and AL are located at a slightly higher position than the surrounding areas. A step 10b surrounding the operation areas AR, AL is formed at the outer periphery of the operation areas AR, AL. Edges 24a and 24c of the front panel 24 are formed along the step 10b. Therefore, the user can move his fingers along the edges 24a, 24c without looking at the operating member 22. The surface (upper surface) of the step 10b is inclined downward toward the outside of the operation areas AR, AL. Therefore, the user can smoothly move his or her finger from the operation areas AR, AL toward the operation member 22. In the example described here, the step 10b is formed in a substantially annular shape surrounding the operation areas AR and AL. The step 10b does not necessarily have to be formed.

As shown in FIG. 2, the front edge of the operating member 22, that is, the front edge 24e of the front panel 24 constitutes the front edge of the upper surface of the central portion 21. As shown in FIG. That is, the upper surface of the upper housing half 41 of the operating device 1, which constitutes the outer shape of the central portion 21, does not have an edge located further in front of the front edge 24e of the front panel 24. A front edge 24e of the front panel 24 is located on the front surface 21a of the central portion 21. According to this structure, since there is no part on the front side of the front edge 24e of the surface panel 24 where the finger gets caught, the user can smoothly slide the finger forward over the front edge 24e. Additionally, the user can easily press the front edge 24e of the front panel 24. Note that the structure of the operating member 22 is not limited to this, and for example, the rear side may be supported by a shaft so that only the front side thereof is lowered.

The operating member 22 constitutes the upper surface of the central portion 21, as described above. Further, the operating member 22 includes a portion extending from a portion constituting the upper surface of the central portion 21 and constituting the front surface of the central portion 21 at the frontmost portion thereof. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the front panel 24 taken along the line IX--IX shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the frontmost portion of the front panel 24 in this example has a substantially L-shaped cross section. That is, the front panel 24 has a front portion 24f that extends from the front edge 24e and constitutes the front surface of the central portion 21. An opening 42 is formed in the upper housing half 41 of the operating device 1 to expose the surface of the front panel 24. The front edge 42b of the opening 42 is located below the front panel 24, more specifically below the lower edge of the front portion 24f.

A stopper portion for restricting forward movement of the operating member 22 is formed in the upper housing half 41 . The stopper portions are formed on the left and right sides of the operating member 22, for example. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the internal structure of the operating device 1. In this figure, the back surface (lower surface) of the upper housing half 41 and the operating member 22 is shown. As mentioned above, the upper housing half 41 has an opening 42 formed therein. Two stopper portions 43 are formed on the lower surface of the upper housing half 41. The stopper portions 43 are formed on the left and right sides of the operating member 22. The two stopper portions 43 in this example are wall-shaped along the right end surface 24m and the left end surface 24n of the front panel 24, respectively. The front panel 24 has a stopped portion 24p that projects outward in the left-right direction from the end faces 24m and 24n. The stopped portion 24p is located on the rear side of the rear end 43a of the stopper portion 43. When the operating member 22 attempts to move forward, the stopped portion 24p hits the rear end 43a of the stopper portion 43, and as a result, the forward movement of the operating member 22 is restricted by the stopper portion 43.

In this way, the stopper portion 43 is formed on the upper housing half 41 that constitutes the outer surface of the operating device 1. Thereby, the tolerance of the position of the operating member 22 with respect to the upper housing half 41 is reduced, and the appearance of the operating device 1 can be improved. Further, in this example, the stopped portion 24p is formed on the front panel 24 that constitutes the outer surface of the operating device 1. Thereby, the tolerance of the position of the surface panel 24 with respect to the upper housing half 41 is reduced, and the appearance of the operating device 1 can be further improved. Further, in a structure in which the stopped portion 24p is formed on the left and right edges of the front panel 24, for example, compared to a structure in which the lower edge of the front portion 24f provided at the forefront of the front panel 24 functions as the stopped portion, The contact area between the stopped portion 24p and the upper housing half 41 can be reduced. As a result, resistance to the user's pressing operation on the operation panel 50 can be reduced. Note that the positions of the stopper portion 43 and the stopped portion 24p are not limited to this. For example, the stopped portion 24p may be provided at the forefront of the right end surface 24m and the left end surface 24n of the front panel 24.

The operating member 22 is supported so that it can move up and down no matter which position of the operating member 22 is pressed. That is, even if any of the front edge 24e, rear edge 24g, right edge 24a, left edge 24c, and their inner parts of the front panel 24 is pressed, the pressed part will go down. A plurality of elastic members (eg, springs or rubber) that generate a reaction force when the operating member 22 is pushed are arranged on the back side of the operating member 22.

In the example of FIG. 10, two elastic members 61 are arranged on the back side of the operating member 22 to urge the operating member 22 upward. The elastic member 61 is attached, for example, to a circuit board 70, which will be described later, and which is placed on the back side of the operating member 22. Further, a frame may be disposed between the circuit board 70 and the operating member 22, and the elastic member 61 may be attached to this frame.

The elastic member 61 in this example is made of rubber. The elastic member 61 has a cylindrical contact portion 61 a having an upper surface that contacts the lower surface of the operating member 22 . The elastic member 61 has an annular elastic portion 61b surrounding the lower surface of the contact portion 61a. When the front part of the operating member 22 is pushed, the contact part 61a tilts to the front side, and when the rear part of the operating member 22 is pushed, the contact part 61a tilts to the rear side. When the contact portion 61a is tilted in this way, the elastic portion 61b exerts a force that resists the tilt. Further, the two elastic members 61 are arranged apart from each other in the left-right direction. Therefore, the two elastic members 61 generate a reaction force no matter which position of the operating member 22 is pressed. The operation member 22 in the example shown in FIG. 10 has a frame 25 that covers the back surface (lower surface) of the touch sensor 23. The contact portion 61a is in contact with the lower surface of the frame 25. Note that the rightmost and leftmost parts of the front panel 24 are located below the left and right edges 24a of the opening 42. The upward movement of the operating member 22 due to the elastic force of the elastic member 61 is restricted by the left and right edges 24a.

In place of the elastic member 61, a plurality of springs that bias the operating member 22 upward may be arranged on the back side of the operating member 22. Even in this case, these springs are arranged so as to generate a reaction force no matter which position of the operating member 22 is pressed. For example, the springs are arranged so as to bias upwardly four points spaced apart in the front-rear direction and left-right direction of the operating member 22.

A protrusion is formed on one side of the lower surface of the operating member 22 and the elastic member 61, and a hole into which the protrusion fits is formed on the other side. In the example shown in FIG. 10, a projection 25b is formed on the lower surface of the frame 25, and a hole into which the projection 25b fits is formed in the contact portion 61a of the elastic member 61. With this structure, even if the position of the operating member 22 is slightly shifted as a result of the user sliding a finger on the surface of the operating member 22, the operating member 22 returns to the initial position due to the elastic force of the elastic member 61. .

A circuit board 70 is arranged on the back side of the operating member 22. A switch 71 that is pressed by the operating member 22 is arranged on the circuit board 70 . The operating member 22 has a push portion 25a at the center of its lower surface (more specifically, the lower surface of the frame 25). The elastic members 61 described above are arranged on the left and right sides of the push portion 25a. When a part of the outer circumference of the operating member 22 is pressed, the operating member 22 is tilted. For example, when the right side of the operating member 22 is pressed, the operating member 22 is tilted because the right side is lowered. When the operating member 22 is tilted in this manner, the position of the push portion 25a is lowered, so that the push portion 25a pushes the switch 71. In other words, the operating member 22 can press the switch 71 no matter which position on its surface is pressed. That is, no matter which position on the operating member 22 is pressed by the user, the operating device 1 can detect the user's operation based on the output signal of the switch.

As described above, the front panel 24 has a front portion 24f. The front part 24f can increase the rigidity of the frontmost part of the front panel 24, and can prevent the front panel 24 from bending when the user presses the front panel 24. As a result, even if the user presses a part of the outer periphery of the front panel 24, the pressing operation is clearly transmitted to the switch 71. The surface panel 24 in this example has downwardly extending portions on its right and left sides. Specifically, the front panel 24 has side portions 24r extending downward at the front end of the right end surface 24m and the front end of the left end surface 24n. This makes it possible to further increase the rigidity of the front panel 24. Further, the operating member 22 has a frame 25 on its back side. This frame 25 further improves the rigidity of the operating member 22.

The operating device 1 has left and right operating sticks 31 at the rear of the central portion 21 (see FIG. 3). As shown in FIG. 1, the operating stick 31 extends upward from the central portion 21, and has a circular operated portion 31b at its upper end that is touched by a user's finger. The height of the operation members (that is, the operation button 11 and the direction key 19) provided on the upper surface of the held parts 10R and 10L is lower than the height (length) of the operation stick 31. For example, the operation stick 31 can be tilted in the radial direction or rotated while being tilted. The operating device 1 detects the direction in which the operating stick 31 is tilted and the amount of the tilt, and transmits signals corresponding to these to the information processing device. Furthermore, the operation stick 31 may be slidable in its radial direction. In this case, the operating device 1 detects the amount of movement of the operating stick 31 in two predefined orthogonal directions (for example, the amount of movement in the front-rear direction and the amount of movement in the left-right direction), and processes signals according to the amounts of movement of the operation stick 31. Send to device.

As shown in FIG. 3, the operating member 22 is provided at the front of the upper surface of the central portion 21. As shown in FIG. The left and right operation sticks 31 are located behind the operation member 22. A right edge 24a and a left edge 24c of the front panel 24 are located in front of the operation stick 31. According to this layout, the operation stick 31 is prevented from becoming a hindrance to the sliding of fingers along the edges 24a, 24c (see FIG. 8). In this example, the front end of the right edge 24a, that is, the frontmost right end 24b of the front panel 24 is located to the right of the center C of the right operating stick 31. The front end of the left edge 24c, that is, the frontmost left end 24d of the front panel 24 is located to the left of the center C of the left operating stick 31.

As shown in FIG. 6, the grip 12 extends diagonally backward and downward from the front portions of the held parts 10R and 10L. The held parts 10R and 10L have protruding parts 10c that protrude forward and downward from their front surfaces. Operation buttons 15 and 16 are provided on the protrusion 10c. According to this shape, it becomes easy to hold the grip 12 by placing the index finger on the operation buttons 15 and 16 and placing the thumb on the operation member 22 while holding the grip 12.

Note that the operating device 1 may be formed so that the operating member 22 is horizontal when the operating device 1 is placed on a horizontal surface. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the shape of the protrusion 10c (lower end 10d) and the shape of the grip 12 (the height of the lower end 12b). By doing so, it is possible to easily slide a finger on the operating member 22 even when the operating device 1 is placed on a horizontal surface. The lower end 12b of the grip 12 and the lower end 10d of the protrusion 10c may be provided with a member (for example, rubber) to protect them. This can prevent damage to the lower ends 12b and 10d.

The operation buttons 15 and 16 provided on the protrusion 10c are arranged in the vertical direction. The operation button 15 is, for example, a button that can be turned on and off, and the operation button 16 is, for example, an analog button that can detect the amount of press by the user. As shown in FIG. 3, the front edge 24e of the operating member 22 is located further back than the operating buttons 15 and 16.

The central portion 21 has a built-in speaker. The speaker is located between the left and right operation sticks 31. As shown in FIG. 1, the upper surface of the center portion 21 has a sound hole 21c at a position corresponding to the speaker. According to this layout of the speaker and the sound hole 21c, the sound output by the operating device 1 can be easily heard. Note that a microphone may be placed in place of the speaker at the position of the sound hole 21c.

As shown in FIG. 1, an operation button 21f that is used relatively infrequently is arranged between the left and right operation sticks 31. The operation button 21f is used, for example, to return the display device connected to the information processing device to a home image (for example, a menu image for selecting software to be executed by the information processing device).

As described above, a plurality of (four in this example) operation buttons 11 are arranged on the upper surface of the front part of the held part 10R. As shown in FIG. 4, the held part 10R incorporates a plurality of (four in this example) light emitters 13 corresponding to the plurality of operation buttons 11. (shown with a black circle). The light emitter 13 is, for example, a light emitting diode. In one example, the operating device 1 changes the lighting state of the light emitter 13 depending on the operating state of the information processing device and the operating device 1. For example, when the information processing apparatus requests the user to press the operation button 11, the operation device 1 lights or blinks the light emitting body 13 corresponding to the operation button 11 whose press operation is requested. The plurality of light emitters 13 emit light in different colors, for example. The color of the light emitter 13 may change depending on the operating state of the operating device 1 or the information processing device. The operating device 1 may cause the light emitting body 13 to constantly light up while the operating device 1 is operating (when the power is turned on).

As shown in FIG. 4, the light emitter 13 is arranged adjacent to the operation button 11, not on the operation button 11 itself. Specifically, the plurality of light emitters 13 are arranged apart from each other so as to entirely surround the plurality of operation buttons 11. According to this layout of the light emitter 13, even if the operation button 11 is hidden by the user's finger, the user can see the light from the light emitter 13. In this example, the four light emitters 13 are arranged on the circumference surrounding the four operation buttons 11. More specifically, the light emitter 13 is arranged on the outer periphery of the operation area AR. Each light emitting body 13 is located radially outward of the operation area AR with respect to the corresponding operation button 11. According to this layout of the light emitter 13, the correspondence between the light emitter 13 and the operation button 11 becomes clear to the user.

As shown in FIG. 4, the held portion 10R has a light guide member 14 on its upper surface (the light guide member 14 is shaded for clarity in FIG. 4). The light emitting body 13 is disposed on the lower side (back side) of the light guide member 14, and the light guide member 14 transmits the light from the light emitter 13 to the upper surface of the held portion 10R. The light guide member 14 is a single member having a shape surrounding the plurality of operation buttons 11 . According to the structure including the light guiding member 14, the number of components can be reduced compared to a structure in which a mutually independent light guiding member is provided for each of the light emitting bodies 13. The light guide member 14 in this example has a substantially annular shape and is arranged at the outer periphery of the operation area AR. More specifically, the light guide member 14 is arranged inside the step 10b.

The light emitter 13 and the light guide member 14 may also be provided on the left held portion 10L. In this case, the plurality of light emitters 13 are arranged so as to surround the direction key 19, and correspond to the four ends of the direction key 19, respectively.

As described above, the held parts 10R and 10L have the protruding part 10c on the front surface thereof. As shown in FIG. 2, a light emitting section 28 is provided on the front surface 21a of the central portion 21. The light emitting part 28 is located between the left and right protrusions 10c. According to this layout of the light emitting section 28, it is possible to prevent the light emitting section 28 from being hidden by the user's hand or finger while the user is holding the held parts 10R, 10L.

The information processing device acquires light from the light emitting unit 28 through a camera connected to the information processing device. The information processing device performs image processing on the image acquired through the camera, and detects the position of the operating device 1 based on the position and size of the light emitting section 28 in the acquired image. For example, when multiple users use multiple operating devices 1 to operate multiple objects (characters) displayed on the display screen, the positions of the objects and the positions of the operating devices 1 can be made to correspond. . For example, the object of the user operating the right operating device 1 may be displayed on the right, and the object of the user operating the left operating device 1 may be displayed on the left. The light emitting section 28 can emit light in any color. For example, the light-emitting unit 28 includes red, green, and blue light-emitting bodies (e.g., light-emitting diodes), and by adjusting the brightness of each light-emitting body, the light-emitting unit 28 can adjust the brightness according to the color specified by the information processing device or the operating state of the operating device 1. Shine with color. Therefore, even if a plurality of operating devices 1 are used simultaneously, the information processing apparatus can detect the position of each operating device 1.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the light emitting section 28 has an elongated shape in the left-right direction. This makes it easier to distinguish the light from the light emitting unit 28 from other light in the image acquired through the camera. As a result, the position detection performance of the operating device 1 can be improved. In the example of FIG. 2, the light emitting section 28 has a rod shape that extends linearly. According to this shape, the shape of the light emitting section 28 in the image acquired by the camera can be prevented from changing depending on the posture of the operating device 1. That is, when the operating device 1 is arranged diagonally with respect to the camera, although the length of the light emitting section 28 in the image acquired by the camera changes, its shape does not change. Thereby, the performance of detecting the position of the operating device 1 through the camera can be improved. Note that the shape of the light emitting portion 28 is not limited to this, and may be, for example, V-shaped or curved in an arc shape.

As shown in FIG. 2, the light emitting section 28 has a light diffusing member 28a that is located in front of the center section 21 and is elongated in the left-right direction. The length of the light diffusing member 28a in the left-right direction is larger than the width in the up-down direction (see FIG. 5). The above-mentioned light emitter is arranged on the rear side of the light diffusing member 28a. The light diffusing member 28 a transmits the light from the light emitter to the front surface of the central portion 21 . As a result, even if one light emitting body is disposed behind the light diffusing member 28a, or even if a plurality of light emitters are distributed and disposed in the left and right direction, the entire light emitting part 28 is generally evenly spaced. It shines.

As shown in FIG. 2, the light diffusing member 28a protrudes forward from the front surface 21a of the central portion 21. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the light-diffusing member 28a includes, on its light-emitting surface, not only a forward-facing portion but also an upwardly-facing portion and a downwardly-facing portion. This makes it easier for the camera to acquire the light from the light emitting section 28. Since the light diffusing member 28a protrudes from the front surface 21a of the central portion 21, the light diffusing member 28a can be seen even when the operating device 1 is viewed from above, as shown in FIG. Therefore, the user can check the light emitting state (whether or not it is emitting light and the color) of the light emitting section 28 while holding the operating device 1 . As described above, the front edge of the plate-shaped operation member 22 (more specifically, the front edge 24e of the front panel 24) constitutes the front edge of the upper surface of the central portion 21 of the operation device 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the light emitting section 28 is located forward of the front edge 24e of the front panel 24. Therefore, even when the user is pushing the front edge 24e of the front panel 24, the user can visually recognize the light from the light emitting section 28. Furthermore, the camera can capture the light from the light emitting section 28 without being obstructed by the user's fingers. Note that the light diffusing member 28a does not necessarily need to protrude forward.

As shown in FIG. 2, the amount of protrusion of the light diffusing member 28a is smaller than the amount of protrusion of the protrusion 10c on which the operation buttons 15 and 16 are provided. Therefore, it is possible to prevent external force from acting on the light diffusing member 28a from the right or left side of the light diffusing member 28a. That is, the light diffusing member 28a can be protected by the protrusion 10c. On the front surface 21a of the central portion 21, protrusions 21d are formed on the left and right sides of the light diffusing member 28a. The light diffusing member 28a and the convex portion 21d form a series of projecting portions extending in the left-right direction. This series of projecting parts is connected to the bases of the left and right projecting parts 10c where operation buttons 15 and 16 are provided. Thereby, it is possible to more effectively prevent external force from acting on the light diffusing member 28a. Note that the central portion 21 may not be provided with such a protrusion 21d, and the end of the light diffusing member 28a may be connected to the base of the protrusion 10c.

As shown in FIG. 2, a connector 33 is provided on the front surface of the central portion 21. As shown in FIG. For example, a cable connecting the operating device 1 and the information processing apparatus is connected to the connector 33. The connector 33 is located below the light diffusing member 28a. As described above, the light diffusing member 28a has a shape extending in the left-right direction and protrudes forward. Therefore, while the cable is connected to the connector 33, the end of the cable can be protected by the light diffusing member 28a.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, a connector 34 is provided on the rear surface of the central portion 21. As shown in FIGS. For example, a cable for headphones or earphones is connected to the connector 34. Further, another device that expands the functions of the operating device 1 may be connected to the connector 34.

As shown in FIG. 1, the held parts 10R and 10L have operation buttons 17R and 17L behind the operation members (operation button 11 and direction key 19) provided in the operation areas AR and AL, respectively. . The operation buttons 17R and 17L are used less frequently than operation members such as the operation stick 31, the operation button 11, and the direction key 19. For example, the operation buttons 17R and 17L function as a select button for selecting an option displayed on a menu image or a start button for instructing to start a game. Further, the operation buttons 17R and 17L may be shortcut buttons for instructing execution of a specific function. The specific function is, for example, a function of transmitting game data and user comments to a specific server on the network.

As shown in FIG. 3, the right operation button 17R is located outward in the left-right direction (that is, in the right direction) with respect to the right operation stick 31. That is, the operation button 17R intersects with the straight line L2 in the left-right direction passing through the operation stick 31. Similarly, the left operation button 17L is located outward in the left-right direction (that is, in the left direction) with respect to the left operation stick 31. The height of the operation buttons 17R and 17L is lower than the operation stick 31. This can prevent the finger operating the operation stick 31 from accidentally pressing the operation buttons 17R, 17L.

The operation buttons 17R, 17L are located further outside the step 10b formed on the outer periphery of the operation areas AR, AL. That is, the operation buttons 17R and 17L are located behind the step 10b. As shown in FIG. 7, the heights of the operation buttons 17R and 17L are lower than the height of the step 10b, that is, the height of the upper surfaces of the front parts of the held parts 10R and 10L with respect to the upper surface of the grip 12. This can prevent fingers operating the operating members provided in the operating areas AR, AL from accidentally pressing the operating buttons 17R, 17L. The upper surfaces of the operation buttons 17R and 17L in this example are flush with the upper surface of the grip 12.

As shown in FIG. 3, the operation buttons 17R and 17L have an elongated shape in the left-right direction. This allows the user to easily press the operation buttons 17R and 17L. The front edges 17a of the operation buttons 17R, 17L are curved along the outer periphery of the operation areas AR, AL (see FIG. 4). Thereby, the distance between the operation buttons 17R, 17L and the step 10b can be reduced. As a result, when the user needs to operate the operation buttons 17R and 17L, he or she can easily press these buttons.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the operation buttons 17R and 17L are directed toward the center in the left-right direction with respect to the center line L3 of the grip 12 along the extending direction of the grip 12, that is, toward the operation stick 31. It is offset. In other words, the right operation button 17R is offset to the left with respect to the center line L3, and the left operation button 17L is offset to the right with respect to the center line L3. This makes it difficult for the hand holding the grip 12 or the finger operating the operation stick 31 to touch the operation buttons 17R, 17L. As shown in FIG. 1, the rear portion of the central portion 21 has a cylindrical portion 21e that accommodates the base of the operating stick 31. The inner edges 17b of the operation buttons 17R and 17L (the left edge of the right operation button 17R and the right edge of the left operation button 17L) are close to the cylindrical portion 21e and are curved along the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 21e. . As shown in FIG. 3, the outer edges 17c of the operation buttons 17R and 17L (the right edge of the right operation button 17R and the left edge of the left operation button 17L) are closer to the center line than the inner edge 17b. It is greatly inclined with respect to L3. This makes it even more difficult for the hand holding the grip 12 to touch the operation buttons 17R, 17L.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, operation buttons 35 are provided on the left and right grips 12. The operation button 35 is provided on the inner surface of the left and right grips 12. That is, the operation button 35 is provided on the right side of the left grip 12 and the left side of the right grip 12. According to this layout of the operation button 35, the user can press the operation button 35 with, for example, the finger (for example, the ring finger) that grips the grip 12. The operation button 35 has an elongated shape in the vertical direction. This allows the user to press the operation button 35 more easily.

[Second example of operation device]
11 and 12 are perspective views of the operating device 101, which is a second example. 11 is a view of the upper side of the operating device 101, and FIG. 12 is a view of the front side of the operating device 101. 13 is a plan view of the operating device 101, and FIG. 14 is a front view of the operating device 101. FIG. 15 is a side view of the operating device 101. FIG. 16 is a rear view of the operating device 1. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing one form of use of the operating device 101. In these figures, the same parts as those of the operating device 1 are given the same reference numerals. In the following, points different from the operating device 1 will be mainly explained, and items that are not explained are the same as the operating device 1.

As shown in FIG. 11, like the operating device 1, the operating device 101 includes held parts 110L and 110R and a central part 121. An operation stick 31 is provided on the front upper surface of the held parts 110L and 110R in place of the operation button 11 and the direction key 19. The operation button 11 and the direction key 19 are provided at the rear of the upper surface of the central portion 121 and are located further back than the operation stick 31.

As shown in FIG. 13, the operating device 101 has an operating member 122 corresponding to the above-described operating member 22 on the upper surface of the central portion 121. The operating member 122 includes a touch sensor 23 and a front panel 124. The front panel 124 in this example is rectangular like the touch sensor 23 and has approximately the same width as the touch sensor 23. The operating member 122 is located between the operating members (in this example, the operating stick 31) of the left and right held parts 110L and 110R. The operating member 122 is supported so as to be able to move up and down in response to a user's pressing operation, and also functions as a button that can be operated on/off. Like the operating member 22, the operating member 122 is supported so that it can move up and down no matter which position of the operating member 122 is pressed. Note that the structure of the operating member 122 is not limited to this, and for example, the front edge of the operating member 122 may be supported by a shaft so that only the rear portion is lowered.

Since the operating member 122 is plate-shaped, the distance between the right edge 124a of the operating member 122 and the right operating stick 31 and the distance between the left edge 124d of the operating member 122 and the left operating stick 31 can be reduced. Furthermore, the distance between the operating member 122 and the operating members (specifically, the operating button 11 and the direction key 19) disposed on the rear side can be reduced. As a result, the user can easily operate the operating member 122 while holding the held parts 110R and 110L.

As shown in FIG. 13, the central portion 121 has operation regions BR and BL on the upper surface of the rear thereof, in which the operation button 11 and the direction key 19 are arranged, respectively. The operation areas BR and BL are located behind the operation member 122. The rightmost portion 124i of the rear edge 124g of the front panel 124 is formed along the outer peripheral edge of the operation region BR. The leftmost portion 124h is formed along the outer periphery of the operation area BL. The rear edge 124g of the front panel 124, that is, the rear edge of the operation member 122 is close to the outer peripheral edge of the operation areas BR and BL. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17, the user can easily touch the operation member 122 by diagonally extending the fingers placed on the operation areas BR and BL toward the center of the operation device 101 in the left-right direction. can. In this way, since the low-height operation members (operation button 11 and direction key 19) are arranged behind the operation member 22, the user can easily touch the rear part of the operation member 122 in particular. The front edge of the operating member 122 may be supported by a shaft so that only the rear portion thereof is lowered, as described above.

Similar to the operating member 22, the front edge of the operating member 122, that is, the front edge 124e of the front panel 124 constitutes the front edge of the upper surface of the central portion 121. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the upper surface of the upper housing half 141 of the operating device 101 that constitutes the central portion 21 does not have an edge located further in front of the front edge 124e of the front panel 124. A front edge 124e of the front panel 124 is located on the front surface 121a of the central portion 121. The frontmost portion of the front panel 124 in this example has a substantially L-shaped cross section, similar to the front panel 24. That is, the front panel 124 has a front portion 124f that hangs down from its front edge 124e. The front edge of the opening formed in the upper housing half 141 that exposes the front panel 124 is located below the front part 124f, similar to the example shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 12, the front surface 121a of the central portion 121 has an upper portion 121d that protrudes more forward than its lower portion 121e. By doing so, the width of the upper surface of the central portion 121 in the front-rear direction can be increased. As a result, the width of the operating member 122 in the front-rear direction can be increased.

Similar to the operation areas AR and AL of the operation device 1, a step 121j is formed at the outer periphery of the operation areas BR and BL (see FIGS. 11 and 14). The rear edge 124g of the front panel 124 is located in front of the step 121j. Therefore, the user can recognize that the finger is in a position to touch the operating member 122 without looking at the operating member 122. That is, the user can recognize that his or her finger is placed at the rear of the operating member 122. The surface (upper surface) of the step 121j is inclined downward toward the outside of the operation areas BR and BL. Note that, like the operation device 1, an annular light guide member 14 and a light emitting body (not shown) are provided inside the step 121j of the operation region BR where the operation button 11 is provided.

Like the operating device 1, the operating device 101 has a light emitting section 128 on the front surface 121a of the central portion 121. The light emitting part 128 is located between the left and right protrusions 10c formed on the front surfaces of the held parts 110R and 110L (see FIG. 14). The light emitting section 128 in this example, like the light emitting section 28, has a rod shape that extends linearly in the left-right direction.

The light diffusing member 128a of the light emitting part 128 projects forward with respect to the lower part 121e of the front surface 121a of the central part 121. Specifically, the upper portion 121d of the front surface 121a of the central portion 121 protrudes more forward than the lower portion 121e. As shown in FIG. 12, the light diffusing member 128a constitutes the lowest part of the upper part 121d. That is, a recess is formed at the lowest part of the upper part 121d, and the light emitting part 128 is fitted into this recess. The light diffusing member 128a of the light emitting section 128 includes, as its light emitting surface, a lower surface that emits light downward and a front surface that emits light forward. Therefore, the area of the light emitting surface becomes large, making it easier for the camera to acquire light from the light emitting section 128.

The front surface of the light emitting portion 128 is flush with the front surface of the upper portion 121d of the central portion 121. Therefore, it is possible to prevent force from being applied to the light diffusing member 128a from above. Further, since the above-mentioned protrusions 10c are located on the right and left sides of the light diffusing member 128a, it is possible to prevent a force in the left and right direction from acting on the light diffusing member 128a.

A connector 33 is provided at the lower portion 121e of the front surface 121a of the central portion 121, as shown in FIG. The connector 33 is located below the light emitting section 128. Therefore, the upper side of the end of the cable connected to the connector 33 can be protected by the light emitting part 128.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the housing 140 of the operating device 101 has an upper housing half 141 that opens downward and a lower housing half 142 that opens upward. combined in the direction. The held parts 110R, 110L and the central part 121 are constituted by housing halves 141, 142. The held parts 110R and 110L have a band-shaped wall member 143 (in FIGS. 15 and 16, the wall member 143 is shaded for clarity). The wall member 143 is arranged between the lower edge 141a of the upper housing half 141 and the upper edge 142a of the lower housing half 142, and constitutes a part of the side surface of the held parts 110R and 110L. In the right held part 110R, the wall member 143 passes from the right side surface (outside surface in the left-right direction) of the front part of the held part 110R, through the right side surface of the grip 112 and the rear end of the grip 112, and then extends from the right side surface of the front part of the held part 110R, through the right side surface of the grip 112 and the rear end of the grip 112. 112 (inner surface in the left-right direction). In the left held part 110L, the wall member 143 passes from the left side surface (outside surface in the left-right direction) of the front part of the held part 110L, through the left side surface of the grip 112 and the rear end of the grip 112, and extends from the left side surface of the front part of the held part 110L, through the left side surface of the grip 112 and the rear end of the grip 112. 112 (inner surface in the left-right direction). By doing so, it is possible to prevent the edges 141a, 142a of the housing halves 141, 142 from being located in positions where the hands of the user who grips the held parts 110R, 110L are easily accessible. As a result, the feeling obtained when holding the held parts 110R and 110L can be improved.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 16, operation buttons 135 are provided on the inner surfaces of the left and right grips 112. The operation button 135, like the wall member 143, is located between the lower edge 141a of the upper housing half 141 and the upper edge 142a of the lower housing half 142. Further, the operation button 135 has approximately the same width in the vertical direction as the wall member 143 and is located in the extending direction of the wall member 143 with respect to the wall member 143 . This makes the operation button 135 less noticeable and improves the appearance of the operation device 101. Further, the operation button 135 is flush with the housing halves 141 and 142. This can prevent fingers holding the grip 112 from accidentally pressing the operation button 135.

As shown in FIG. 11, the held parts 110R, 110L are provided with operation buttons 117R, 117L corresponding to the above-mentioned operation buttons 17R, 17L. The operation buttons 117R, 117L are located behind the operation member (in this example, the operation stick 31) provided at the front of the held parts 110R, 110L. Further, the operation buttons 117R and 117L are located outward in the left-right direction with respect to the operation members (in this example, the operation button 11 and the direction key 19) provided at the rear of the central portion 121. As shown in FIG. 13, the operation buttons 117R and 117L are offset forward with respect to the operation button 11 and the direction key 19. That is, the operation buttons 117R and 117L are located forward of the center C of the operation button 11 and direction key 19.

As shown in FIG. 16, the positions of the upper surface of the operation button 11 and the upper surface of the direction key 19 are lower than the position of the upper surface of the operation stick 31. The positions of the upper surfaces of the operation buttons 117R and 117L are lower than the positions of the upper surfaces of the operation buttons 11 and the direction keys 19. Therefore, when the operation button 11 or the direction key 19 is being operated, it is possible to prevent the operation buttons 117R and 117L from being pressed by mistake.

As shown in FIG. 11, the held parts 110R and 110L in this example have a slightly recessed recess 110f on the upper surface of their front parts. That is, an arc-shaped frame portion 110g surrounding the operation stick 31 is formed around the operation stick 31. The inside of this frame portion 110g is recessed. The operation buttons 117R, 117L are provided in this recess 110f. Therefore, the height of the operation buttons 117R, 117L, that is, the amount of protrusion from the recess 110f, can be ensured while the position of the upper surface of the operation buttons 117R, 117L is lower than the position of the upper surface of the operation button 11 and the upper surface of the direction key 19. .

[Third example of operation device]
FIGS. 18 to 21 are diagrams showing a third example of the operating device 101. FIG. 18 is a plan view. FIG. 19 is a perspective view. FIG. 20 is a front view. FIG. 21 is a bottom view. In these figures, the same parts as those of the operating device 1 are given the same reference numerals. In the following, points different from the operating device 1 will be mainly explained, and items that are not explained are the same as the operating device 1.

As shown in FIG. 18, the operating device 201 has a plate-shaped operating member 222 on the upper surface of the central portion 21. As shown in FIG. Like the operating member 22, the operating member 222 includes a touch sensor 223 and a front panel 224. The touch sensor 223 is located between the operation members (that is, the operation button 11 and the direction key 19) of the left and right held parts 10L and 10R. The operating member 222 is supported so as to be able to move up and down in response to a user's pressing operation. The front panel 224 in this example is rectangular and has approximately the same width as the touch sensor 223. In this example, the front panel 224 and the surfaces of the operation areas CR and CL in which the operation buttons 11 and the direction keys 19 are arranged, respectively, are located on the same plane. That is, unlike the operating device 1, the operating device 201 does not have a step around the operating regions CR and CL.

As shown in FIG. 19, like the operating member 22, the operating member 222 includes a portion that constitutes the upper surface of the central portion 21 and a portion that constitutes the front surface 21a of the central portion 21. That is, the front edge of the operating member 222 (that is, the front edge of the front panel 224) constitutes the front edge of the upper surface of the central portion 21. The frontmost part of the front panel 224 in this example has a substantially L-shaped cross section, and the front panel 224 has a front part 224f extending downward from its front edge.

As shown in FIG. 18, the operating device 201 has operating buttons 217R and 217L on the right and left sides of the operating member 222, which have the same functions as the above-described operating buttons 17R and 17L. The operation buttons 217R and 217L are located between the four operation buttons 11 and the direction key 19, and are located ahead of the four operation buttons 11 and the direction key 19. Therefore, the user can operate the operation button 217R by extending a finger placed on any of the operation buttons 11 while holding the held portion 10R. Similarly, the user can operate the operation button 217L by extending the finger placed on the direction key 19 while holding the held portion 10L. The upper surfaces of the operation buttons 217R and 217L do not protrude from the surface of the front panel 224. The upper surfaces of the operation buttons 217R and 217L in this example are located on the same plane as the surface of the front panel 224. Therefore, when the user operates the operation member 22, it is possible to prevent the user from accidentally pressing the operation buttons 217R, 217L.

As described above, the held parts 10R and 10L have the protruding part 10c on the front surface thereof. As shown in FIGS. 19 and 20, the operating device 201 has a light emitting section 228 on the front surface 21a of the central portion 21. As shown in FIGS. The light emitting section 228 is located between the left and right protrusions 10c. The light emitting section 228 has a rectangular shape elongated in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. The left and right edges of the light emitting section 228 have a larger distance from the protrusion 10c than the above-described light emitting section 28. Therefore, when the user operates the operation buttons 15 and 16 provided on the protrusion 10c, it is possible to more effectively suppress the light from the light emitting section 228 from being blocked by the user's finger.

The width of the light emitting section 228 in the left-right direction in this example is smaller than the width of the operating member 22 in the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. The rightmost part and the leftmost part of the operating member 22 are located to the right and left of the light emitting part 228, respectively. When the user presses the rightmost or leftmost part of the operating member 22 while holding the operating device 201 with the front side thereof lowered, the tip of the finger may exceed the front edge of the operating member 22. Even in such a case, since the width of the light emitting section 228 in the left and right direction is smaller than the operating member 22, it is possible to prevent the user's finger from blocking the light of the light emitting section 228. Note that, as shown in FIG. 19, like the operating device 1, the operating device 201 has a convex portion 21d on the front surface 21a of the central portion 21. The light emitting portion 228 and the convex portion 21d form a series of projecting portions 221e extending in the left-right direction. This series of projecting portions 221e is connected to the left and right projecting portions 10c.

The projecting portion 221e projects further forward than the front edge of the operating member 222 (more specifically, the front surface portion 224f of the front panel 224). The rear edge 228d of the light emitting part 228 is located forward of the front edge of the operating member 222, as shown in FIG. In other words, the front edge of the operating member 222 is located further back than the rear edge 228d of the light emitting section 228. Therefore, even when the user's finger is placed on the front edge of the operating member 222, it is possible to prevent the user's finger from interfering with the camera's acquisition of light from the light emitting unit 228. In particular, in this example, when the operating device 201 is viewed from above, the base 221f of the projecting portion 221e is also located forward of the front edge of the operating member 222. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively prevent the user's finger from becoming an obstacle for the camera to obtain light from the light emitting unit 228. Note that the front edge of the operating member 222 may be provided so as to overlap the base 221f of the projecting portion 221e in plan view.

As shown in FIG. 20, the light emitting section 228 has a larger vertical width W2 than the light emitting section 28. As shown in FIG. The width W2 of the light emitting portion 228 in this example corresponds to the width of the front surface 21a of the central portion 21 in the vertical direction. More specifically, the width W2 of the light emitting portion 228 is determined by the lower edge of the front surface 21a of the central portion 21 (that is, the front edge 221L of the lower surface 221g described later) and the front edge of the operating member 22 (in this example, the front panel 224 (lower edge of the front surface portion 224f). In other words, the light emitting section 28 makes maximum use of the vertical width of the front surface 21a. In this example, the projecting portion 221e has a vertical width corresponding to the vertical width of the front surface 21a of the central portion 21, more specifically, a vertical width that is approximately equal to the vertical width of the front surface 21a. The light emitting portion 228 is provided from the upper edge (base portion 221f) to the lower edge of the overhanging portion 221e. As described above, since the light emitting section 228 has a relatively large vertical width, a camera provided in the information processing device can easily capture the light from the light emitting section 228. The light emitting section 228 has a light diffusing member having the same function as the light diffusing member 28a of the light emitting section 28 on its front surface. Therefore, the entire front surface of the light emitting section 228 emits light.

The light emitting part 228 is provided on the projecting part 221e and protrudes forward from the front surface 21a of the central part 21. As shown in FIG. 18, the protrusion width of the light emitting part 228 in this example is approximately equal to the protrusion width W3 of the protrusion parts 10c provided on the held parts 10R and 10L. In other words, when the operating device 201 is viewed from above, the position of the front end of the light emitting portion 228 in the front-rear direction generally coincides with that of the front end 10e of the protruding portion 10c. Therefore, even when the user holds the operating device 201 while tilting it to the right or left side, it is possible to prevent the light from the light emitting section 228 from being blocked by the protruding section 10c. Note that the front surface of the light emitting section 228 is curved in an arc shape. In this example, the cross section of the light emitting part 228 perpendicular to the extending direction of the light emitting part 228 is a semicircle. Therefore, even when the operating device 201 is held obliquely, changes in the shape of the light emitting section 228 recognized by the camera can be suppressed.

As shown in FIGS. 19 and 21, the central portion 21 of the operating device 201 has a lower surface 221g. The central portion 21 has a connector 233 on the lower surface 221g into which a cable connector can be inserted from the front side of the operating device 201. That is, the central portion 21 has a connector 233 on its lower side, and an insertion opening of the connector 233 into which a cable is inserted opens toward the front. A front portion 221j of the lower surface 221g projects further forward than the insertion opening of the connector 233 (the front end of the connector 233). This can effectively prevent the light from the light emitting section 228 from being blocked by the cable connected to the connector 233 or the connector at its front end. Note that the insertion port of the connector 233 may face diagonally downward. By doing so, it is possible to secure a larger distance between the cable connected to the connector 233 and the light emitting section 228.

As shown in FIG. 19, the lower surface 221g of the central portion 21 has a bulge 221h that swells downward. The connector 233 is housed in the bulge 221h, and its insertion port is exposed forward from the front surface of the bulge 221h. As shown in FIG. 20, the lowermost portions (in this example, the lower ends of the rearmost portions) of the held portions 10R and 10L and the lower end 10d of the protruding portion 10c are located at a position lower than the bulge portion 221h. Therefore, even if the user places the operating device 201 on a flat surface for storage, for example, the connector provided at the end of the cable is prevented from coming into contact with the flat surface. As a result, it is possible to prevent a load from being applied to the connector 233.

As shown in FIG. 19, the front portion 221j of the lower surface 221g is formed diagonally and extends forward and upward. Therefore, when the user inserts the cable connector into the connector 233, the cable connector can be guided into the connector 233 by the front portion 221j. As a result, the cable connector can be inserted smoothly. The front portion 221j in this example is gently curved. Note that the front portion 221j may be an inclined plane. A groove 221k having a width corresponding to the width of the cable connector is formed in the front portion 221j. When the cable connector is inserted into the connector 233, the end of the cable is placed in the groove 221k. Therefore, even if the operating device 201 moves when the operating device 201 is used, the load acting on the connector 233 in the left-right direction can be reduced.

As shown in FIG. 20, the light emitting section 228 and the connector 233 are located apart in the vertical direction when viewed from the front. The operating device 201 has a circuit board inside thereof. One component of the light source (for example, an LED) of the light emitting section 228 and the connector 233 is mounted on a circuit board, and the other component is separated from the circuit board in the vertical direction. The other component is connected to this circuit board via a cable or the like.

In the example shown in FIG. 20, the light source of the light emitting section 228 is mounted on the circuit board 251. The operating device 201 in this example further includes a circuit board 252 that is disposed below the circuit board 251 and faces the circuit board 251. Connector 233 is mounted on circuit board 252. The circuit board 251 and the circuit board 252 are connected through an electric wire (not shown). A control circuit for controlling the operating device 201 is mounted on the circuit board 251, and data transmitted and received through the connector 233 is input to the control circuit of the circuit board 251 through the circuit board 252 and the electric wire.

Connector 233 is mounted on the bottom surface of circuit board 252. On the other hand, the light source of the light emitting unit 228 is mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board 251, for example. Thereby, a large distance can be secured between the connector 233 and the light emitting section 228 in the vertical direction. As a result, it is possible to effectively prevent the cable connected to the connector 233 from interfering with the light from the light emitting section 228. Note that the circuit board 252 does not necessarily have to be provided. For example, the connector 233 may be connected to the circuit board 251 by an electric wire without using a circuit board.

As described above, the operating device 201 has an upper surface provided with a first operating member (in the above explanation, the operating button 11 and the direction key 19), is located apart from each other in the left and right direction, and is held by a user. It has left and right held parts 10R and 10L for holding. The operating device 201 is provided with a central portion 21 that connects the left and right held parts 10R and 10L, a light emitting portion 228 provided on the front surface 21a of the central portion 21, and a lower surface 221g of the central portion 21, and a cable. It has a connector 233 that can be inserted from the front side, and a lower surface 221g of the center part 21 that is provided at the front part of the center part 21 and projects further forward than the connector 233. According to this operating device 201, it is possible to prevent the cable connected to the connector 233 from interfering with the progress of light from the light emitting section 228.

Note that various changes can be made to the operating device.

For example, the operation button 135 of the grip 12, 112 does not necessarily have to be provided on the operation device.

Further, the positions of the operation buttons 17R and 17L do not have to be behind the operation members (the operation button 11 and the direction key 19) provided at the front of the held parts 10R and 10L. The operation buttons 17R and 17L may be arranged between the left and right operation sticks 31, for example.

Furthermore, the light emitting section 28 provided on the front surface of the central portion 21 does not necessarily need to protrude forward.

Furthermore, in the operating device 101, the upper portion 121d of the front surface 121a of the central portion 121 does not need to protrude forward with respect to the lower portion 121e.

Further, the upper surface of the housing constituting the operating device 1, 101, 201 may have an edge located on the front side of the operating member 22, 122, 222.

Moreover, a plurality of light emitting parts may be provided on the front surface 21a of the central part 21. In that case, the plurality of light emitting parts may be arranged in a row in the left-right direction.

[Embodiments according to the present invention]
Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. 22 and 23 are perspective views of an operating device 301 that is an example of an embodiment of the present invention. 22 is a view of the upper side of the operating device 301, and FIG. 23 is a view of the front side of the operating device 301. 24 is a plan view of the operating device 301, and FIG. 25 is a front view of the operating device 301. FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVI-XXVI shown in FIG. 24. In these figures, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts as the operating devices described above. In the following, points that are different from the operating devices described so far will be mainly explained, and items that are not explained are the same as the operating devices described so far.

As shown in FIG. 22, the operating device 301 has held parts 310L and 310R on its left and right parts, respectively, for the user to hold. Further, the operating device 301 has a central portion 321 between the held portions 310L and 310R. Operation members (specifically, the operation button 11 and the direction key 19) for the user to operate are provided on the upper surfaces of the front parts of the held parts 310L and 310R. The operating device 301 has a housing 340. The housing 340 constitutes the outer surface of the operating device 301 and accommodates various parts included in the operating device 301. The housing 340 in this example has an upper housing half 341 and a lower housing half 349, which are assembled with each other in the vertical direction.

As shown in FIG. 23, the operating device 301 has a light emitting surface 328c on the front surface of the central portion 321. The light from the light emitting surface 328c is captured through a camera connected to the information processing device. As shown in FIG. 26, the operating device 301 includes a light source G (a light emitting diode in this example) that emits visible light, and a plate-shaped light diffusing member 328 having a front surface functioning as a light emitting surface 328c. The light from the light source G passes through the light diffusing member 328 and exits from the entire light emitting surface 328c. That is, the light emitting surface 328c emits light from the surface.

The operating device 301 includes a plurality of light sources G having mutually different colors (for example, red, green, and blue light sources). The operating device 301 adjusts the brightness of each light source G, so that the light emitting surface 328c lights up in a color specified by the information processing device or in a color corresponding to the operating state of the operating device 301. In this way, even if a plurality of operating devices 301 are used at the same time, the information processing apparatus can detect the position of each operating device 301.

In the example shown in FIG. 26, a light guiding member 329 is arranged inside the light diffusing member 328. The light source G is mounted on the lower surface of the circuit board 70 and is located above the light guide member 329. The light from the light source G is diffused within the light guiding member 329 and the light diffusing member 328, and exits from the light emitting surface 328c. The position of the light source G is not limited to this. For example, they may be placed on the left and right sides of members 328 and 329.

The central portion 321 includes a portion located above the light emitting surface 328c. The light emitting surface 328c is arranged so as to be hidden by this portion of the central portion 321. As shown in FIG. 26, the operating device 301 also has a front panel 324 that forms the upper surface of the central portion 321, like the operating device 1 and the like described above. The light emitting surface 328c is located below the front panel 324 and is arranged to face obliquely forward and downward. Due to this layout of the light emitting surface 328c, the light emitting surface 328c is hidden by the front panel 324 when the central portion 321 is viewed from above. More specifically, when the central portion 321 is viewed diagonally from above and from the front, the light emitting surface 328c is hidden by the front panel 324. Therefore, light from a lighting device or the like in the room in which the operating device 301 is used can be prevented from hitting the light emitting surface 328c and being reflected. Note that the member located above the light emitting surface 328c does not necessarily have to be the front panel 324. For example, a portion located above the light emitting surface 328c may be formed in the upper housing half 341.

The central portion 321 has a portion located above and in front of the light emitting surface 328c. As shown in FIG. 26, this part includes the front part of the front panel 324 (hereinafter referred to as front part 324c). The front portion 324c projects further forward than the upper edge 328d of the light emitting surface 328c. Thereby, it is possible to more effectively suppress the light from the indoor lighting device from hitting the light emitting surface 328c. Note that the front portion 324c of the front panel 324 does not necessarily need to protrude further forward than the upper edge 328d of the light emitting surface 328c. For example, the front portion 324c may have a flat plate shape extending upward from the upper edge 328d of the light emitting surface 328c.

As shown in FIG. 26, the light emitting surface 328c in this example is a flat surface facing diagonally downward. In other words, the light emitting surface 328c is inclined so that its upper edge 328d is located further forward than its lower edge 328e. According to this shape of the light emitting surface 328c, the light emitting surface 328c can be easily hidden by the front panel 324 compared to a structure in which the light emitting surface is curved so as to bulge out forward. Further, when the user holds the operating device 301 in a state slightly tilted upward, the light emitting surface 328c can face the camera.

The lower portion of the front surface of the central portion 321 faces diagonally downward. As shown in FIG. 23, the light emitting surface 328c is provided on the same plane as the front surface of the central portion 321. In other words, the light emitting surface 328c and the portion surrounding the outer periphery of the light emitting surface 328c are located on substantially the same plane. In this example, the front surface 349b of the housing 340 (more specifically, the lower housing half 349) is a slope facing diagonally downward. The front surface 349b includes a surface 349c extending obliquely upward and forward from the upper edge of the light emitting surface 328c. This surface 349c, together with the front portion 324c of the front panel 324, is located forward of the light emitting surface 328c. An opening for exposing the light emitting surface 328c is formed in the front surface of the housing 340, and the light emitting surface 328c is flush with the edge of the opening of the housing 340. Note that the light emitting surface 328c may be recessed relative to the surrounding portion.

As shown in FIG. 26, a connector 333 located below the light emitting surface 328c is provided on the front surface of the central portion 321. Even if the cable terminal accidentally hits the light-emitting surface 328c during the process of inserting the cable terminal into the connector 333, the cable terminal will be able to touch the connector due to the light-emitting surface 328c formed flush with the surrounding portion. 333. Further, it is possible to suppress external force from acting on the terminal of the cable inserted into the connector 333 from above.

As shown in FIG. 23, each of the left and right held parts 310L and 310R has operation buttons 15 and 16 on the front surface thereof. The operation buttons 15 and 16 protrude forward from the front surface of the central portion 321. As described above, the light emitting surface 328c is formed to face diagonally downward, and its lower edge 328e is located further back than the upper edge 328d. The connector 333 is provided below the lower edge 328e of the light emitting surface 328c. Particularly in this example, the connector 333 is located further back than the lower edge 328e of the light emitting surface 328c (see FIG. 26). According to such a structure, a larger distance is secured between the operation buttons 15, 16 and the connector 33 compared to a structure in which the light emitting surface 328c is arranged to face straight ahead. As a result, when the user places his/her fingers on the operation buttons 15, 16, the user's fingers can be prevented from touching a portion of the cable near the terminal, and load on the connector 333 can be prevented.

As shown in FIG. 25, the light emitting surface 328c has an elongated shape in the left-right direction. The light emitting surface 328c in this example is approximately triangular. According to such a shape, the information processing device can easily distinguish the light from the light emitting surface 328c from other light. As a result, the accuracy of position detection of the operating device 301 can be improved. Note that the light emitting surface 328c may be polygonal.

As shown in FIG. 25, the light emitting surface 328c has a shape corresponding to the front surface of the central portion 321. The front surface of the central portion 321 in this example has a lower edge bent at the center. That is, the lower edge of the front surface has a portion 321a extending obliquely to the right and upward from the center, and a portion 321b extending leftward and upward from the center. Similarly to the lower edge of the front surface of the central portion 321, the lower edge 328e of the light emitting surface 328c has a portion extending obliquely to the right and upward from the center, and a portion extending leftward and upward from the center. . This makes it easier to ensure the size of the light emitting surface 328c.

As shown in FIG. 24, the operating device 301 has a plate-shaped operating member 322 on the upper surface of the central portion 321, similar to the operating devices of the first to third examples described above. The operating member 322 includes a touch sensor 23 (see FIG. 26) and a front panel 324. The touch sensor 23 is located between the operation members (that is, the operation button 11 and the direction key 19) of the left and right held parts 310L and 310R. A switch 71 (see FIG. 26) is arranged below the operating member 322 to detect when the operating member 322 is pressed. Therefore, the operating member 322 functions as a button that can be turned on/off. As shown in FIG. 22, the operating device 301 has operating buttons 317R and 317L on the right and left sides of the operating member 322, corresponding to the above-mentioned operating buttons 217R and 217L.

The surface panel 324 in this example slightly protrudes upward from the portion surrounding the rear edge, left edge, and right edge of the surface panel 324 (the edge of the opening formed in the housing 340). Therefore, a step is formed around the front panel 324. Thereby, the user can recognize the position of the operating member 322 with the finger placed on the central portion 321 without looking at the operating device 301.

A plurality of elastic members (for example, springs and rubber) are arranged below the operating member 322, as in the example of FIG. The operating member 322 is supported by these plurality of elastic members so that it can move up and down no matter which position of the operating member 322 is pressed. As shown in FIG. 26, a circuit board 70 on which a switch 71 is mounted is arranged below the operating member 322. The operating member 322 has a push portion 25a for pushing the switch 71 at the center of its lower surface. The operating member 322 in this example has a frame 25 on its lower surface, and the push portion 25a is formed in the frame 25. Note that the frame 25 is approximately box-shaped, and a drive circuit 26 for the touch sensor 23 is arranged inside the frame 25.

As shown in FIG. 26, the operation member 322 (specifically, the front panel 324), like the operation member 22 and the like described above, has a portion that constitutes the upper surface of the central portion 321 (hereinafter referred to as the upper surface portion 324a). , and a portion (front surface portion 324c) that constitutes the front surface of the central portion 321. According to this structure, the user can smoothly slide his or her finger on the front panel 324 forward. Further, the user can easily press the frontmost portion of the upper surface portion 324a of the front panel 324. Furthermore, the front part 324c can increase the rigidity of the front part of the front panel 324.

As shown in FIG. 26, the touch sensor 23 is attached to the upper surface portion 324a of the front panel 324. The front portion 324c extends beyond the front edge of the touch sensor 23 and curves downward. The front portion 324c in this example has an arcuate cross section. An opening is formed in the housing 340 to expose the front panel 324. A front edge 349a of the opening of the housing 340 is located below the lower edge of the front portion 324c.

In this example, as shown in FIG. 25, the front surface 324c of the surface panel 324 extends downward beyond the lower edge 341a of the front surface of the upper housing half 341, and the front edge 349a of the opening extends beyond the lower edge 341a of the lower housing half 341. It is placed on the upper edge of the. With such a structure of the housing halves 341 and 349, the vertical width of the front portion 324c can be increased.

As shown in FIG. 26, the upper housing half 341 has a beam portion 341b at its front portion, which is located inside the front portion 324c of the front panel 324 and extends in the left-right direction. This beam portion 341b can compensate for the decrease in rigidity of the upper housing half 341 due to the fact that the upper housing half 341 does not have a portion located below the front surface portion 324c.

The central portion 321 is configured such that the light from the light source G leaks from its upper surface. Specifically, the front panel 324 is formed of a material that transmits light. The front panel 324 has a portion that extends beyond the front edge of the touch sensor 23. A light source G, a member that reflects the light of the light source G, and a member that emits light upon receiving the light of the light source G are arranged below the portion beyond the front edge of the touch sensor 23. As a result, light leaks from the portion beyond the front edge of the touch sensor 23. In the example shown in FIGS. 24 and 26, the upper surface portion 324a of the front panel 324 has a portion 324d that slightly extends forward beyond the front edge of the touch sensor 23. In the example shown in FIGS. The front portion 324c extends downward from the portion 324d while being curved. The light diffusing member 328 and the light guiding member 329 are located below the portion 324d and the front portion 324c. Therefore, the light emitted upward from the light diffusing member 328 leaks upward through the portion 324d. Note that the light source G may be placed below the portion 324d of the front panel 324. The top or bottom surface of the front panel 324 may be colored to define the position where light leaks.

The user can recognize the color of the light from the light source G by looking at the light emitted from the portion 324d. This is particularly effective when multiple operating devices 301 are used simultaneously. That is, in an example of processing by the information processing apparatus, the operating devices 301 are identified by the color of the light emitting surface 328c, and objects corresponding to each operating device 301 are displayed. The user can recognize the object being moved through the operating device 301 by the light leaking from the top surface of the central portion 321.

As shown in FIG. 23, the bottom portion 349e of the housing 340 (more specifically, the lower housing half 349) bulges downward at the center in the left-right direction. That is, the bottom portion 349e has a slope facing diagonally rightward and downward on its right side, and has a slope facing diagonally leftward and downward on its left side. This shape of the bottom portion 349e increases the rigidity of the bottom portion 349e.

As shown in FIG. 25, inside the lower housing half 349, a connector 333, a circuit board 336 with the connector 333 attached to the bottom surface, and a battery 337 are arranged. The connector 333 is arranged at the bottom of the lower housing half 349, and the connector 333, the circuit board 336, and the battery 337 are arranged in this order from the bottom. Furthermore, the widths of these three components in the left-right direction become larger as the components are placed on the upper side. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the generation of wasted space inside the bottom portion 349e.

As shown in FIG. 22, a connector 334 is provided on the rear surface of the central portion 321. For example, a cable for headphones or earphones is connected to the connector 34. Further, another device that expands the functions of the operating device 1 may be connected to the connector 34.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible.

For example, the light emitting surface 328c may face straight ahead. In this case, the frontmost part of the front panel 324 may have an eaves shape that projects forward from the light emitting surface 328c.

Furthermore, the edge 349a of the housing 340 located below the surface panel 324 may be formed on the upper housing half 341.

27 and 28 are diagrams showing modifications of the operating device 301 shown in FIGS. 22 to 26. The examples shown in these figures differ from the examples shown in FIGS. 22 to 26 mainly in the layout of the light source G. FIG. 27 is a perspective view showing the light source G and the light guide member 327. FIG. 28 is a sectional view, and the cut plane is the same as FIG. 26.

In these examples as well, the central portion 321 includes a light emitting panel 328. The light emitting panel 328 is a light diffusing member that diffuses light within it. The light source G is arranged at a position spaced backward from the light emitting panel 328. More specifically, the light source G is arranged at a position spaced backward from the center of the light emitting panel 328 in the left and right direction. As described above, the central portion 321 includes the circuit board 336 that is disposed downwardly and away from the circuit board 70 on which the switch 71 is mounted. The light source G in the example described here is mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board 336. The light source G is mounted on the circuit board 336 so that its light is emitted to the front.

The central portion 321 in the example shown here includes a light guide plate 327. The light guide plate 327 is arranged to extend forward from the light source G toward the back surface of the light emitting panel 328 (see FIG. 28). As shown in FIG. 27, the light guide plate 327 has left and right side surfaces 327a that are inclined so that the width of the light guide plate 327 in the left and right direction gradually increases toward the front. According to this shape of the light guide plate 327, the light emitted from the light source G travels forward while being reflected by the left and right side surfaces 327a, upper surface 327b, and lower surface 327c of the light guide plate 327, and spreads in the left and right direction in the process. . As a result, the entire area of the elongated light-emitting panel 328 in the left-right direction can be emitted. The light source G is arranged at a position spaced backward from a portion between the left and right ends of the light emitting panel 328. In the example described here, the light source G is arranged at a position spaced backward from the center of the light emitting panel 328 in the left and right direction. Therefore, the light guide plate 327 has a symmetrical shape. The light source G is located on the rear side of the rear end of the light guide plate 327.

By increasing the distance from the light emitting panel 328 to the light source G, that is, the distance from the light emitting panel 328 to the rear end of the light guide plate 327, the light traveling inside the light guide plate 327 is more likely to be reflected by the side surface 327a. Therefore, it is desirable that the distance from the light emitting panel 328 to the light source G is large. In the example shown in FIG. 28, the light source G is arranged at the rear end of the circuit board 336.

As shown in FIG. 28, the circuit board 336 is placed at a lower position than the light emitting panel 328. More specifically, the circuit board 336 is arranged at a position lower than the lower edge 328e of the light emitting panel 328. In the example described here, the light source G is also arranged at a position lower than the lower edge 328e of the light emitting panel 328. The light guide plate 327 has a first plate portion 327A extending forward from the light source G. The first plate portion 327A is arranged along the circuit board 336. That is, the first plate portion 327A is arranged horizontally. Further, the light guide plate 327 has a second plate portion 327B arranged along the back surface of the issuing panel 328. The light guide plate 327 has a curved portion 327d formed between a first plate portion 327A and a second plate portion 327B. Light entering the second plate section 327B from the first plate section 327A is always reflected on the surface of the curved section 327d. Therefore, by providing the curved portion 327d on the light guide plate 327, the number of times the light is reflected increases. As a result, the light traveling inside the light guide plate 327 becomes more likely to spread in the left-right direction. As described above, the battery 337 is arranged between the circuit board 336 and the circuit board 70. In the example described here, interference between the light guide plate 327 and the battery 337 can also be avoided by curving the light guide plate 327. A member that reflects light may be attached to the surface of the curved portion 327d (for example, the surface facing diagonally downward). Further, the surface of the curved portion 327d may be processed to reflect light. That is, a member such as a mirror surface that totally reflects light may be attached to the surface of the curved portion 327d, or a surface treatment may be performed.

As described above, the light emitting panel 328 is arranged so as to face diagonally downward. As shown in FIG. 28, the second plate portion 327B is arranged along the back surface of the light emitting panel 328, and is inclined similarly to the light emitting panel 328. On the other hand, the first plate portion 327A is arranged along the circuit board 336 and is horizontal. That is, the first plate portion 327A is arranged perpendicularly to the up-down direction. Therefore, an obtuse angle θ is formed between the first plate portion 327A and the second plate portion 327B. Thereby, the curved portion 327d can be gently curved. As a result, it is possible to prevent the light traveling within the light guide plate 327 from passing through the surface of the curved portion 327d without traveling to the second plate portion 327B.

As shown in FIG. 27, the back surface of the second plate portion 327B (the surface opposite to the light emitting panel 328) is textured (in FIG. 27, a plurality of recesses 327e are formed to make the texture clearer). is depicted). This texturing makes it easier for light hitting the back surface of the second plate portion 327B to be reflected forward. As a result, the brightness of the light emitting panel 328 can be increased. The graining process is performed on a region corresponding to the light emitting panel 328 on the back surface of the second plate portion 327B. Furthermore, in the example described here, as shown in FIG. 28, a reflective plate 326 is attached to the back surface of the second plate portion 327B. This makes it easier for the light traveling inside the second plate portion 327B to be reflected further forward.

Electronic components are arranged on the upper surface of the circuit board 336. The first plate portion 327A is arranged above this electronic component. In the example described here, as shown in FIG. 28, a connector 336a to which a cable for electrically connecting the circuit board 336 and the circuit board 70 is connected is mounted on the upper surface of the circuit board 336, and the first plate The portion 327A is arranged above the connector 336a. The lower surface of the first plate portion 327 has an inclined surface 327f to avoid interference between the first plate portion 327A and the connector 336a. Light source G is located rearwardly away from connector 336a. Therefore, the slope of the slope 327f of the first plate portion 327A is made gentle. As a result, transmission of light through the inclined surface 327f can be suppressed. That is, the light is easily totally reflected on the inclined surface 327f.

As shown in FIG. 27, a mounting portion 327g projecting in the left-right direction is formed at the rear of the first plate portion 327A. A projection 349f protruding from the bottom 349e of the central portion 321 is fitted into the hole formed in the attachment portion 327g. Thereby, the light guide plate 327 is attached to the bottom portion 349e.

In the example shown in FIGS. 27 and 28, the light source G is attached to the circuit board 336. However, the light source G may also be attached to the circuit board 70. In this case, the light source G may be arranged rearwardly away from the light emitting panel 328, and the above-mentioned light guide plate 327 may be arranged between them.

Further, if a component such as a battery 337 is not disposed between the circuit board 336 and the circuit board 70, the light guide plate 327 does not necessarily have the curved portion 327d.

Claims (8)

A plurality of first operation members and a second operation member including a surface panel to which a touch sensor is attached are provided on the top surface, a light source is provided therein, and a light emitting region that illuminates by light from the light source is provided on the top surface. A method of manufacturing an operating device comprising:
The plurality of first operating members, the second operating member , the light source, an upper housing half forming the upper surface and having an opening in which the second operating member is disposed, and a lower housing half. Prepare your body and
The upper housing half and the lower housing half are arranged vertically so that the light emitting area is secured on the upper surface and the front panel constitutes a portion of the upper surface and a portion of the front surface of the operating device. A method for manufacturing an operating device. preparing a light guide member for guiding light from the light source;
The method for manufacturing an operating device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting region on the upper surface is located above the light guide member. the surface panel is made of a light-transmissive material ;
The method for manufacturing an operating device according to claim 1, wherein the front panel is arranged on the upper surface, and the light emitting area is secured on the front panel. The method for manufacturing an operating device according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting area is secured along an edge of the touch sensor. The method for manufacturing an operating device according to claim 4 , wherein the light emitting region is secured along a front edge of the touch sensor. The second operating member is a plate-shaped operating member that functions as a button that can be moved up and down,
The method for manufacturing an operating device according to claim 1 , wherein the second operating member is disposed on the upper surface, and the light emitting area is secured in the second operating member. The operating device has a light emitting surface on its front surface,
The method for manufacturing an operating device according to claim 1, wherein the light source is arranged so that the light source illuminates the light emitting surface on the front surface. preparing a light guide member having left and right side surfaces that are inclined so that the width in the left and right direction gradually increases toward the light emitting surface of the front surface;
The method for manufacturing an operating device according to claim 7 , wherein the light guide member is arranged to extend from the light source toward the light emitting surface of the front surface.

Images